On the Technology of Renewable Energy
It seems like it is every other year when the U.S. media turns its focus to renewable energy. One side of the news and talk shows spin a horror story of what could happen should fossil fuels become scarce or be depleted altogether. The other side likewise devotes print and broadcast space, not to debunking the scare tactics, but to explaining that the difficulties involved in transitioning to renewable energy sources. These difficulties include technological needs, industrial interest, and financial difficulties. Research shows, however, that the United States possesses the capacity to convert to renewable energy in these specific areas.
It is widely believed that the technology is not available to produce electricity from renewable re-sources. Many people still consider solar and wind power to be technology of the future. These people are likely not aware of the fact that Nikoli Tesla wrote on the benefits of solar power in 1931. In Tesla's book, Everyday Science and Mathematics, he stated, "The hydro-electric process, now universally employed, enables us to obtain as much as eighty-five percent of the solar energy with machines of elementary simplicity which, by resorting to the latest improvements in the technical arts, might be capable of enduring for centuries." That is to say, a genius mathematician and engineer in the thirties considered solar energy simple to harness. (Tesla, 1931).
Over thirty years before Tesla's book, he was interviewed by Chauncy M'Govern for Pearson's Maga-zine. Tesla described a plan to M'Govern which would use focused solar power, directed with mirrors and lenses, to boil water in a steam powered generator. The goal of this plan, which Tesla described to M'Govern in 1899, was to replace fossil fuels with solar power in the generation of steam. (M'Govern, 1899).
Again, many people do not consider this method of harnessing solar energy. Most people consider solar panels to be the only way to convert solar power into electricity. Solar panels are extremely expensive. A quick Google search shows that a solar photovoltaic panel can cost anywhere from five to twenty thousand dollars. According to the Renewables Global Status Report, 40% of the world's solar photovolotaic panels come from China. Most of these panels were sold to Germany, who put into use more than half of the photovolotaic panels produced in 2009. (Phillippe, 2009).
Solar power isn't the only renewable source of electricity to be explored. It is common knowledge that there are powerful hydroelectric power generators in Hoover Dam on the U.S. west coast, and Niagara Falls on the east. What many people do not know is that hydroelectricity accounts for less than five percent of the nation's electrical consumption. In April, 2010, the U.S. Energy Information Administration released a table showing energy consumption by energy source since 1949. In 2009, the U.S. produced 2.682 quadrillion btus of hydroelectric power. The total produced was 72.97 quadrillion btus. This means that approximately 3.5% of the country's power came from hydroelectric generators in 2009. By comparison, electricity generated from fossil fuels in 2009 totaled 56.86 quadrillion btus, or about 78% of the electricity generated by the United States. (Gielecki, 2009).
Another source of renewable energy that many people think is being used far more extensively than the figures indicate is nuclear power. In 2009, 8.349 quadrillion btus of power was produced by nuclear power plants. This is a mere eleven percent. (Gielecki, 2009).
The U.S. certainly has the technology to expand the use of hydro and nuclear power as well as solar power. Other forms of renewable energy listed by the U.S. Energy Information Administration are geothermal, wind, and biofuel.
Geothermal power is the least used form of electrical generation in the U.S. as of 2009. This is another source of energy that Nikoli Tesla suggested could produce the steam necessary to turn an electric generator. The caption beneath one of his illustrations explains, "The arrangement of one of the great terrestrial power plants of the future. Water is circulated to the bottom of the shaft, returning as steam to drive the turbine, and then returned to liquid form in the condenser, in an unending cycle." (Tesla, 1931).
While geothermal power isn't used to its potential in the U.S., as of 2009 about one quarter of the electricity of Iceland was generated this way. In addition, eleven African countries are exploring the potential of using geothermal power.
The use of wind to generate power has increased in the U.S. by an average of 27% every year for the last five years. Even still, the amount of electricity generated by wind in the U.S. was less than 1 quadrillion btu , and less than 1% of the total electricity generated in 2009.
Biofuel represents the use of residual materials from practically anything. This includes wood chips, agricultural waste, vegetable oils, animal slurries, and even biogas such as nitrogen, hydrogen, methane, and carbon monoxide originating from the breakdown of organic matter. Biofuel is a renewable energy present in any industrial, agricultural or residential area. However, the United States Clean Air Act prevents it from being used for electrical production, and instead requires that it be treated to remove non-methane organic compounds, harmful greenhouse gasses. Ironically, treatment is usually done through combustion, which could provide the heat energy necessary to manufacture steam and therefore electricity.
There are technologies in development which would make biofuel that is in compliance with the Clean Air Act. And, which could be used to fuel vehicles in addition to power plants. Time Magazine reported that Algenol is researching the use of algae to produce biofuel. In addition, Mascoma is attempting to discover or engineer a bacteria which will convert plant waste directly into biofuel. (Walsh, 2009).
These researches into biofuel sources and production methods are in the minority of research currently being performed. There are many ways to produce electricity from renewable sources that work and are reliable but are not being used anywhere near to their potential.
Most of the uses of renewable energy involve either using a renewable source to produce steam, or using the source to directly turn the turbines in the power plant. Concentrated solar power uses the heat from the sun to produce steam. Likewise, geothermal power uses the heat and pressure of the Earth to produce steam. The process of burning some forms of biofuel to make it environmentally safe could be used to produce steam.
Most thermal power stations in the U.S. produce steam to rotate a turbine. The prime difference be-tween oil, coal, or nuclear power stations is the type of material that is used to create the steam. There does not appear to be a significant technological difference between, for example, a crude oil power plant and a concentrated solar power plant. Which begs the question as to what, exactly, changes in the infrastructure are necessary.
Power stations that do not utilize steam have a material that turns the turbine directly. Hydroelectric power plants use the force of flowing water to turn the turbine, and natural gas power stations use the flow of compressed gas to turn a turbine. Again, there does not appear to be a significant technological difference between a hydroelectric power generator and a wind power generator.
Having illustrated that the technology exists to produce electricity from renewable sources, attention can be turned to the question of industry. Sometimes people say that the reason renewable energy is not being incorporated is because the industrial infrastructure does not yet exist.
The aforementioned Time Magazine article on renewable energy mentions a British investigation called The Sahara Forrest Project. This project is researching the energy potential in the Sahara Desert. They have an idea to use lenses and mirrors to concentrate solar energy to heat water into steam, much like the process described by Nikoli Tesla above. These concentrated solar power generators would be constructed below sea level to supply the water for the steam, then collect the waste water and use it to keep the facility clean. Now that the water has been used twice, it is used a third time to irrigate the surrounding area. (Walsh, 2009).
Is there a compelling reason why this same process should not be explored in the southwest of the United States? The northern plains of Texas experience similar high temperatures and arid climate as the Sahara.
The Virtual Nuclear Tourist website (2009) mentions solar power on its comparisons of energy sources page. It claims that, "Current technology requires large amounts of land for small amounts of energy generation." The Sahara Forest Project projects if a thirty-five-thousand square mile area of the Sahara were filled with concentrated solar power stations, it would produce an amount of electricity comparable to all the power plants in the world, combined. And, an area of six-thousand square miles could produce power for 500 million people, the entire population of the United States.
Another project in Europe involves harnessing the power of the tides to produce electricity. A tidal power plant was put into use on the northern coast of France over forty years ago. Verdant Power has been experimenting with a similar tidal plant in New York. Verdant is looking at Texas for an expansion, and Oceana Power has intentions to construct a tidal plant beneath the Golden Gate Bridge. Time Magazine reports that the Electric Power Research Institute estimates that eventually up to 10% of the United State's power needs can be produced by tidal forces. (Walsh, 2009).
Oil is used for more than gasoline in the United States. It is also used to produce electricity. In fact, ac-cording to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the U.S. produced 11.241 quadrillion btus of electricity from crude oil in 2009. This is about 15% of the total electricity produced in 2009, and is only exceeded by coal and natural gas.
Many believe that large scale biofuel production could cause deforestation in an effort to produce soy-bean and palm oil. Algenol believes that they may have a solution in the form of cultivated algae. The biofuel company is attempting to produce a rapidly reproducing algae that can be transformed into biofuel that can be produced less expensively than the more common sources. They are hoping to generate 20 billion gallons at peak capacity.
Another company, Mascoma, is experimenting with bacteria to develop a natural way to transform any plant matter into cellulosic ethanol. One of their competitors is currently constructing a demonstration plant to prove their theories.
Nearly every sewage treatment plant in the county sports tall smokestacks with flames atop, like giant candles. This combustion treats the gas emissions from the sewage and reduces the amount of green-house gasses. Is there any reason why this fire has to be high in the air, rather than in a steam genera-tor, producing electricity for the city which produced the sewage?
The first objection to the use of renewable energy sources is nearly always economic. Opponents of renewable energy often claim that the cost is too great to make the transition at this time. A careful analysis, however, reveals that the main cost is in the upfront expense of building new or modifying existing facilities. In the long run, renewable energy sources are almost always cheaper.
There is a greater expense than the base cost of fossil fuels. Coal mining is an expensive proposition both in money and the health of the workers. Nuclear energy has the problem of what to do with the waste materials. Keith Schneider, reporter for the New York Times, explains that the U.S. has built a half-mile shaft in order to bury nuclear materials. A shaft which may present a hazard to the surrounding environment. (Schneider, 1987).
Joseph Gonyeau prepared a side by side comparison of advantages and disadvantages of different forms of energy production. Some of the disadvantages he lists appear to contradict. For example, a disadvantage of hydroelectric power is, "Many dams available are currently exist (sic) (not much of a future source.)" while a disadvantage of wind power is, "Need 3x the amount of installed generation to meet demand.)" (Gonyeau, 2009).
The acquisition of fossil fuels poses other dangers. One of the greatest environmental disasters of 2010 was an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. President Barak Obama informed the United States that the source of the oil was over a mile beneath the surface of the water, deeper than any other such spill. "Stopping it has tested the limits of human technology," he said in an address to the nation. (Obama, 2010).
Using renewable resources such as solar power, tidal forces, wind, or farm produced algae would avoid these dangers and the costs involved. It would also eliminate, or at least reduce, transportation and tariff costs associated with the fuel sources. Nuclear power has similar benefits in that uranium is inexpensive to transport, although it has similar detriments involving safety and environmental impact.
The U.S. Government offers a subsidy to companies who produce biofuel. There are also tax credits to companies who invest in renewable energy sources as well. In addition, President Obama has proposed phasing out subsidies for fossil fuels.
The World Nuclear Association (2010) published a chart showing the costs of nuclear power compared to oil, natural gas, and coal. This chart shows that nuclear power was significantly cheaper than the oth-er three forms of electrical generation in 2009. But, it does not take into account the difference in amount of power generated. So, it is not conclusive.
Time Magazine reporter, Bryan Walsh, spoke to many people for the aforementioned article on Renewable Energy. In every case, the person he talked to felt that, once operational, their particular form of electrical generation would be cheaper than using fossil fuels.
Many times newspapers or magazines will report on the cost in cents per kilowatt in the various me-thods of generating electricity. These costs often include the initial outlay for a renewable resource power plant such as wind or solar in the cents per kilowatt, but do not include such costs in a fossil fuel plant. In addition, the reports rarely include any subsidies.
For example, a report may say that it costs $2.80 per gallon to produce bio-diesel out of soybean oil and compare that to $0.75 per gallon to produce petroleum diesel. This does not include the government subsidy of $1.01 per gallon, bringing that difference from $2.05 to $1.04. If the algae being researched by Algenol is a dollar cheaper per gallon to produce than soybean oil is to purchase, then that makes it effectively cheaper than petroleum.
These reports also tend to assume that all electricity has to be converted to renewable resources at once. They will point out that a facility only has the ability to produce, for example, 50 million btus while the country needs over 70 quadrillion btus. Nicolas Dunlop, secretary general of the NGO e-parliament, suggests that facilities be converted slowly and in parts. He calls this the “Lego” method. (Walsh, 2009).
By these examples we can see that the United States has the ability to produce electricity from renewable resources. Some of these technologies were developed by Americans, and others have been in practice in other countries for many years.
The country also has companies who are interested in exploiting renewable energy sources. Some of these companies are looking to provide a new source that is similar to another, proven resource such as using algae instead of soybeans. Some are looking to construct a facility similar to one already in operation in another country, such as the tidal generator.
Finally, the U.S. has the economic need and ability to make the transition to renewable energy. If the transition is done slowly, the initial outlay of money will not be so great. Many of the sources of energy such as sunlight, wind, geothermal or tidal forces are cheap enough to pay for themselves as time goes on.
Given that these three popular reasons as for why renewable energy is not used in the United States appear to be disproven, one may wonder what the real reason is for the lack of utilization of renewable energy sources.
It is widely believed that the technology is not available to produce electricity from renewable re-sources. Many people still consider solar and wind power to be technology of the future. These people are likely not aware of the fact that Nikoli Tesla wrote on the benefits of solar power in 1931. In Tesla's book, Everyday Science and Mathematics, he stated, "The hydro-electric process, now universally employed, enables us to obtain as much as eighty-five percent of the solar energy with machines of elementary simplicity which, by resorting to the latest improvements in the technical arts, might be capable of enduring for centuries." That is to say, a genius mathematician and engineer in the thirties considered solar energy simple to harness. (Tesla, 1931).
Over thirty years before Tesla's book, he was interviewed by Chauncy M'Govern for Pearson's Maga-zine. Tesla described a plan to M'Govern which would use focused solar power, directed with mirrors and lenses, to boil water in a steam powered generator. The goal of this plan, which Tesla described to M'Govern in 1899, was to replace fossil fuels with solar power in the generation of steam. (M'Govern, 1899).
Again, many people do not consider this method of harnessing solar energy. Most people consider solar panels to be the only way to convert solar power into electricity. Solar panels are extremely expensive. A quick Google search shows that a solar photovoltaic panel can cost anywhere from five to twenty thousand dollars. According to the Renewables Global Status Report, 40% of the world's solar photovolotaic panels come from China. Most of these panels were sold to Germany, who put into use more than half of the photovolotaic panels produced in 2009. (Phillippe, 2009).
Solar power isn't the only renewable source of electricity to be explored. It is common knowledge that there are powerful hydroelectric power generators in Hoover Dam on the U.S. west coast, and Niagara Falls on the east. What many people do not know is that hydroelectricity accounts for less than five percent of the nation's electrical consumption. In April, 2010, the U.S. Energy Information Administration released a table showing energy consumption by energy source since 1949. In 2009, the U.S. produced 2.682 quadrillion btus of hydroelectric power. The total produced was 72.97 quadrillion btus. This means that approximately 3.5% of the country's power came from hydroelectric generators in 2009. By comparison, electricity generated from fossil fuels in 2009 totaled 56.86 quadrillion btus, or about 78% of the electricity generated by the United States. (Gielecki, 2009).
Another source of renewable energy that many people think is being used far more extensively than the figures indicate is nuclear power. In 2009, 8.349 quadrillion btus of power was produced by nuclear power plants. This is a mere eleven percent. (Gielecki, 2009).
The U.S. certainly has the technology to expand the use of hydro and nuclear power as well as solar power. Other forms of renewable energy listed by the U.S. Energy Information Administration are geothermal, wind, and biofuel.
Geothermal power is the least used form of electrical generation in the U.S. as of 2009. This is another source of energy that Nikoli Tesla suggested could produce the steam necessary to turn an electric generator. The caption beneath one of his illustrations explains, "The arrangement of one of the great terrestrial power plants of the future. Water is circulated to the bottom of the shaft, returning as steam to drive the turbine, and then returned to liquid form in the condenser, in an unending cycle." (Tesla, 1931).
While geothermal power isn't used to its potential in the U.S., as of 2009 about one quarter of the electricity of Iceland was generated this way. In addition, eleven African countries are exploring the potential of using geothermal power.
The use of wind to generate power has increased in the U.S. by an average of 27% every year for the last five years. Even still, the amount of electricity generated by wind in the U.S. was less than 1 quadrillion btu , and less than 1% of the total electricity generated in 2009.
Biofuel represents the use of residual materials from practically anything. This includes wood chips, agricultural waste, vegetable oils, animal slurries, and even biogas such as nitrogen, hydrogen, methane, and carbon monoxide originating from the breakdown of organic matter. Biofuel is a renewable energy present in any industrial, agricultural or residential area. However, the United States Clean Air Act prevents it from being used for electrical production, and instead requires that it be treated to remove non-methane organic compounds, harmful greenhouse gasses. Ironically, treatment is usually done through combustion, which could provide the heat energy necessary to manufacture steam and therefore electricity.
There are technologies in development which would make biofuel that is in compliance with the Clean Air Act. And, which could be used to fuel vehicles in addition to power plants. Time Magazine reported that Algenol is researching the use of algae to produce biofuel. In addition, Mascoma is attempting to discover or engineer a bacteria which will convert plant waste directly into biofuel. (Walsh, 2009).
These researches into biofuel sources and production methods are in the minority of research currently being performed. There are many ways to produce electricity from renewable sources that work and are reliable but are not being used anywhere near to their potential.
Most of the uses of renewable energy involve either using a renewable source to produce steam, or using the source to directly turn the turbines in the power plant. Concentrated solar power uses the heat from the sun to produce steam. Likewise, geothermal power uses the heat and pressure of the Earth to produce steam. The process of burning some forms of biofuel to make it environmentally safe could be used to produce steam.
Most thermal power stations in the U.S. produce steam to rotate a turbine. The prime difference be-tween oil, coal, or nuclear power stations is the type of material that is used to create the steam. There does not appear to be a significant technological difference between, for example, a crude oil power plant and a concentrated solar power plant. Which begs the question as to what, exactly, changes in the infrastructure are necessary.
Power stations that do not utilize steam have a material that turns the turbine directly. Hydroelectric power plants use the force of flowing water to turn the turbine, and natural gas power stations use the flow of compressed gas to turn a turbine. Again, there does not appear to be a significant technological difference between a hydroelectric power generator and a wind power generator.
Having illustrated that the technology exists to produce electricity from renewable sources, attention can be turned to the question of industry. Sometimes people say that the reason renewable energy is not being incorporated is because the industrial infrastructure does not yet exist.
The aforementioned Time Magazine article on renewable energy mentions a British investigation called The Sahara Forrest Project. This project is researching the energy potential in the Sahara Desert. They have an idea to use lenses and mirrors to concentrate solar energy to heat water into steam, much like the process described by Nikoli Tesla above. These concentrated solar power generators would be constructed below sea level to supply the water for the steam, then collect the waste water and use it to keep the facility clean. Now that the water has been used twice, it is used a third time to irrigate the surrounding area. (Walsh, 2009).
Is there a compelling reason why this same process should not be explored in the southwest of the United States? The northern plains of Texas experience similar high temperatures and arid climate as the Sahara.
The Virtual Nuclear Tourist website (2009) mentions solar power on its comparisons of energy sources page. It claims that, "Current technology requires large amounts of land for small amounts of energy generation." The Sahara Forest Project projects if a thirty-five-thousand square mile area of the Sahara were filled with concentrated solar power stations, it would produce an amount of electricity comparable to all the power plants in the world, combined. And, an area of six-thousand square miles could produce power for 500 million people, the entire population of the United States.
Another project in Europe involves harnessing the power of the tides to produce electricity. A tidal power plant was put into use on the northern coast of France over forty years ago. Verdant Power has been experimenting with a similar tidal plant in New York. Verdant is looking at Texas for an expansion, and Oceana Power has intentions to construct a tidal plant beneath the Golden Gate Bridge. Time Magazine reports that the Electric Power Research Institute estimates that eventually up to 10% of the United State's power needs can be produced by tidal forces. (Walsh, 2009).
Oil is used for more than gasoline in the United States. It is also used to produce electricity. In fact, ac-cording to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the U.S. produced 11.241 quadrillion btus of electricity from crude oil in 2009. This is about 15% of the total electricity produced in 2009, and is only exceeded by coal and natural gas.
Many believe that large scale biofuel production could cause deforestation in an effort to produce soy-bean and palm oil. Algenol believes that they may have a solution in the form of cultivated algae. The biofuel company is attempting to produce a rapidly reproducing algae that can be transformed into biofuel that can be produced less expensively than the more common sources. They are hoping to generate 20 billion gallons at peak capacity.
Another company, Mascoma, is experimenting with bacteria to develop a natural way to transform any plant matter into cellulosic ethanol. One of their competitors is currently constructing a demonstration plant to prove their theories.
Nearly every sewage treatment plant in the county sports tall smokestacks with flames atop, like giant candles. This combustion treats the gas emissions from the sewage and reduces the amount of green-house gasses. Is there any reason why this fire has to be high in the air, rather than in a steam genera-tor, producing electricity for the city which produced the sewage?
The first objection to the use of renewable energy sources is nearly always economic. Opponents of renewable energy often claim that the cost is too great to make the transition at this time. A careful analysis, however, reveals that the main cost is in the upfront expense of building new or modifying existing facilities. In the long run, renewable energy sources are almost always cheaper.
There is a greater expense than the base cost of fossil fuels. Coal mining is an expensive proposition both in money and the health of the workers. Nuclear energy has the problem of what to do with the waste materials. Keith Schneider, reporter for the New York Times, explains that the U.S. has built a half-mile shaft in order to bury nuclear materials. A shaft which may present a hazard to the surrounding environment. (Schneider, 1987).
Joseph Gonyeau prepared a side by side comparison of advantages and disadvantages of different forms of energy production. Some of the disadvantages he lists appear to contradict. For example, a disadvantage of hydroelectric power is, "Many dams available are currently exist (sic) (not much of a future source.)" while a disadvantage of wind power is, "Need 3x the amount of installed generation to meet demand.)" (Gonyeau, 2009).
The acquisition of fossil fuels poses other dangers. One of the greatest environmental disasters of 2010 was an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. President Barak Obama informed the United States that the source of the oil was over a mile beneath the surface of the water, deeper than any other such spill. "Stopping it has tested the limits of human technology," he said in an address to the nation. (Obama, 2010).
Using renewable resources such as solar power, tidal forces, wind, or farm produced algae would avoid these dangers and the costs involved. It would also eliminate, or at least reduce, transportation and tariff costs associated with the fuel sources. Nuclear power has similar benefits in that uranium is inexpensive to transport, although it has similar detriments involving safety and environmental impact.
The U.S. Government offers a subsidy to companies who produce biofuel. There are also tax credits to companies who invest in renewable energy sources as well. In addition, President Obama has proposed phasing out subsidies for fossil fuels.
The World Nuclear Association (2010) published a chart showing the costs of nuclear power compared to oil, natural gas, and coal. This chart shows that nuclear power was significantly cheaper than the oth-er three forms of electrical generation in 2009. But, it does not take into account the difference in amount of power generated. So, it is not conclusive.
Time Magazine reporter, Bryan Walsh, spoke to many people for the aforementioned article on Renewable Energy. In every case, the person he talked to felt that, once operational, their particular form of electrical generation would be cheaper than using fossil fuels.
Many times newspapers or magazines will report on the cost in cents per kilowatt in the various me-thods of generating electricity. These costs often include the initial outlay for a renewable resource power plant such as wind or solar in the cents per kilowatt, but do not include such costs in a fossil fuel plant. In addition, the reports rarely include any subsidies.
For example, a report may say that it costs $2.80 per gallon to produce bio-diesel out of soybean oil and compare that to $0.75 per gallon to produce petroleum diesel. This does not include the government subsidy of $1.01 per gallon, bringing that difference from $2.05 to $1.04. If the algae being researched by Algenol is a dollar cheaper per gallon to produce than soybean oil is to purchase, then that makes it effectively cheaper than petroleum.
These reports also tend to assume that all electricity has to be converted to renewable resources at once. They will point out that a facility only has the ability to produce, for example, 50 million btus while the country needs over 70 quadrillion btus. Nicolas Dunlop, secretary general of the NGO e-parliament, suggests that facilities be converted slowly and in parts. He calls this the “Lego” method. (Walsh, 2009).
By these examples we can see that the United States has the ability to produce electricity from renewable resources. Some of these technologies were developed by Americans, and others have been in practice in other countries for many years.
The country also has companies who are interested in exploiting renewable energy sources. Some of these companies are looking to provide a new source that is similar to another, proven resource such as using algae instead of soybeans. Some are looking to construct a facility similar to one already in operation in another country, such as the tidal generator.
Finally, the U.S. has the economic need and ability to make the transition to renewable energy. If the transition is done slowly, the initial outlay of money will not be so great. Many of the sources of energy such as sunlight, wind, geothermal or tidal forces are cheap enough to pay for themselves as time goes on.
Given that these three popular reasons as for why renewable energy is not used in the United States appear to be disproven, one may wonder what the real reason is for the lack of utilization of renewable energy sources.